Hydrogen and Bone Fracture Healing in Osteoporosis Drug Users in Rats
Hydrogen reshapes the senescent microenvironment of callus to enhance the healing of anti-osteoporotic-drug-induced atypical femoral fracture
Research hubs: Musculoskeletal System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Yuanming An, Haozhi Zhang, Yuantao Zhang, Shi'an Zhang, Lizhen Zheng, Hongwei Shao, Wanting Du, Liming Cheng, Wei Sun, Jinhui Ma, Yechun Ruan, Jiankun Xu, Ling Qin
- Journal
- Biomaterials
- Year
- 2026
- PMID
- 42143430
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Dose
- hydrogen rich water (HRW)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 1 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Germany
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich water improved healing in a rat model of bisphosphonate-associated atypical femoral fracture by reducing local senescence, inflammation, fibrosis, and impaired blood vessel formation without weakening bisphosphonate-supported bone mass.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water significantly promoted healing of bisphosphonate-induced atypical femoral fractures in rats by reversing cellular aging and shifting immune responses toward anti-inflammatory patterns at the fracture site.
Summary
This study used rats to investigate whether hydrogen-rich water could help heal a specific type of bone fracture that occurs as a side effect of long-term bisphosphonate drugs (medications used to treat osteoporosis). The researchers found that hydrogen-rich water promoted healing of these difficult-to-heal fractures by reducing cellular aging and inflammation at the fracture site, while maintaining the bone-strengthening benefits of the bisphosphonate medication.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen-rich water may have potential as a treatment for a specific fracture complication caused by osteoporosis medications, but human studies would be needed to determine if these results apply to people. The findings are preliminary and limited to animal research.
Abstract (excerpt)
Long-term bisphosphonates (BPs) are widely used to treat osteoporosis, however, they are paradoxically associated with the development of atypical femoral fractures (AFFs), which often characterized by impaired healing. In this study, we induced an AFF model using zoledronate (ZOL) administration…